Column: The 'Divorce Tree' could now be the lucky tree

There is a legend that says if you find a bird’s nest in your Christmas tree you will have good luck and prosperity for the next year. I certainly hope that’s true because there is a robin’s nest in the Divorce Tree.

We call it the Divorce Tree because of the disagreements and angst it caused when I bought it a few years ago. I was feeling guilty about executing a perfectly health tree to serve as a Christmas decoration for such a short time. Thus, I decided to get one with the roots still attached. That way it could do its duty for the holiday and yet live on.

I did not understand how much a root ball weighed or how difficult it would be getting it inside.

Happily I can report that both the tree, my husband and my marriage survived — but it was the first and likely the last balled tree I get.

The tree has grown from a mere 3 feet to almost 9 feet tall and has filled out nicely. It’s big enough that it now takes four strings of lights to go around it.

The tree is planted right next to the driveway so every time I pull in or out it brings a smile to my face. One day this past spring as I pulled in I saw a robin fly into the tree with a worm in her mouth. She quickly exited empty-beaked.

I crept up to the tree and peeked in. There, nestled close to the trunk was a bowl shaped nest with four tiny hatchlings. Their pink wrinkled skin was sparsely covered in grey fuzz. Their bulging eyes were closed tight.

I went inside to fetch the camera. Over the next 10 days I photographed the babies as they grew. In no time they were covered in feathers and it became a tight squeeze in the nest. Then like that they were off and flying.

The nest is still there, although it is more like a blob of rotting grass and feathers than a recognizable nest. I hope that doesn’t mean the luck it is supposed to bring has fallen apart too.

The nest has been there since May but the luck has yet to kick in. In fact the latter part of this year my luck has been anything but stellar. Perhaps the luck does not kick in until it the tree becomes a Christmas Tree instead of just an evergreen?

I put the lights on last weekend. So far no miracles have befallen me. Perhaps it won’t kick in until after the new year.

I’m hoping I don’t have to chop the tree down to trigger the luck. That certainly would not be lucky for the tree. Besides it is already way too big to fit in my living room.

Perhaps having a bird's nest in my Christmas Tree won't bring me luck, but I feel lucky to have watched the baby birds grow up.